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_______________________________ _______________________________ 1 Councilmember Zachary Parker Councilmember Janeese Lewis George 2 3 4 ________________________________ _______________________________ 5 Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau 6 7 8 _______________________________ ______________________________ 9 Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Charles Allen 10 11 A BILL 12 13 __________________ 14 15 16 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 17 18 __________________ 19 20 To establish an Office of Social Housing Developments to foster the construction, maintenance, 21 and growth of District-owned residential properties designed to be mixed-income housing 22 with not less than two-thirds of a building developed as family units and not less than 23 two-thirds of units rented as permanently affordable units for extremely-, very-, and low-24 income households, and to establish a framework for tenant governance, environmentally 25 conscious building standards, and street-level amenities that serve a public purpose at 26 social housing developments; to amend the District of Columbia Government 27 Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act of 1978 to provide for the appointment of the 28 Director of the Office; to amend the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018 29 to allow investments in District-owned social housing developments; to amend an Act 30 Authorizing the sale of certain real estate in the District of Columbia no longer required 31 for public purposes to require that the Mayor evaluate such properties for conversion into 32 social housing developments before disposing of them; to amend the Housing Production 33 Trust Fund Act of 1988 to make social housing developments eligible to receive loans 34 and grants; and to amend The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980 to allow 35 the District to purchase residential property for conversion into social housing 36 developments. 37 38 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 39 act may be cited as the “Housing Development Growth Amendment Act of 2025”. 40 41 Title I. SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT 42
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Sec. 101. DEFINITIONS. 43 For the purposes of this chapter, the term: 44 (1) “Area Median Income” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 2(1) of 45 the Housing Production Trust Fund Act of 1988, effective March 16, 1989 (D.C. Law 7-202; 46 D.C. Official Code § 42-2801(1)). 47 (2) “Bonds” means any bond, note, debenture, interim certificate, or other evidence of 48 financial indebtedness of the Office authorized to be issued under the provisions of this chapter. 49 (3) “Extremely low-income” means a household income equal to, or less than, 30% of the 50 area median income. 51 (4) “Fair market value” means the average, unsubsidized rental rate a reasonable person 52 could expect to pay for a comparable dwelling unit when considering the age, condition, and 53 location of similar properties. 54 (5) “Low-income” means a household income equal to between 51% and 80% of the area 55 median income. 56 (6) “Mixed-income” means a property that includes tenants with a range of household 57 incomes including extremely low-, very low-, low-, and above low-income levels. 58 (7) “Mixed-use” shall mean a multi-family residential development that includes space 59 for commercial or institutional purposes in accordance with zoning regulations set forth by the 60 Office of Zoning. 61 (8) “Net-zero emissions” means all energy is produced on-site, and to the degree that off-62 site energy production is necessary, it is provided via contracts for electricity produced from 63 renewable sources and no energy may be produced from combustion or other sources that emit 64 greenhouse gases. 65
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(9) “Operating costs” means any costs associated with maintaining a Social Housing 66 Development including management expenses, maintenance, utilities, and associated services. 67 (10) “Permanently affordable” means a tenant’s rent, in perpetuity, will not exceed 30% 68 of tenant household income if, at the time a tenant signs an initial lease, they qualify as 69 extremely low-, very low-, or low-income relative to area median income. 70 (11) “Personal mobility device” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 50-71 2201.02(13). 72 (12) “Real property” means land titled in the District or in which the District has a 73 controlling interest and includes all structures of a permanent character erected thereon or affixed 74 thereto, any natural resources located thereon or thereunder, all riparian rights attached thereto, 75 or any air space located above or below the property or any street or alley under the jurisdiction 76 of the Mayor. 77 (13) “Rent” means money owed to occupy a unit in a social housing development, 78 including: 79 (A) Money to be paid directly by a tenant, and 80 (B) Funding associated with housing voucher programs operated by the District or 81 Federal government. 82 (14) “Restorative justice” means a process of allowing tenants or property managers, or 83 management sub-contractors, who are causing harm in the community to take responsibility, 84 reconcile with impacted parties, and address root causes of the harm with the goal of restoring all 85 parties to the level of trust and cooperation prior to the harm. 86 (15) “Social housing development” means real property that: 87
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(A) Is owned by the District of Columbia and operated by the Office of Social 88 Housing Development; 89 (B) Provides mixed-income apartment housing that is permanently affordable for 90 lower income tenants; and 91 (C) Uses the revenue generated from rent to further the purpose and duties of The 92 Office of Social Housing Development pursuant to section 103 of this Act. 93 (16) “Street-level” means the portion of a property that sits on or most proximately opens 94 to the same level as the street or sidewalk. “Street-level” may also be considered ground floor or 95 ground level. 96 (17) “Tenant” means a tenant, subtenant, lessee, sublessee, or other person entitled to the 97 possession, occupancy or benefits of a rental unit within a social housing development. The 98 singular term “tenant” includes the plural. 99 (18) “Tenant association” means: 100 (A) A group of tenants organized to represent their collective interests as residents 101 of social housing developments; 102 (B) An association that represent a minimum of 51% of the households in a 103 building, as determined by rules established by the tenant association pursuant to section 106(b); 104 and 105 (C) the term “tenant association” may also include a tenant union, tenant 106 organization, tenant council, or similar term reflecting the chosen name of a duly organized 107 group of tenants of a social housing development. 108 (19) “Universal design” means creating a built environment to be accessible and usable to 109 the greatest number of people regardless of ability, age, or other characteristics. 110
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(20) “Utility provider” means a provider of services for electricity, water, and 111 telecommunications and internet. 112 (21) “Very low income” means a household income equal to between 31% and 50% of 113 the area median income. 114 Sec. 102. Office of Social Housing Development Establishment. 115 (a)(1) Pursuant to section 404(b) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 116 December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 787; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.04(b)), the Council establishes an 117 Office of Social Housing Development (“The Office”) as a subordinate office within the 118 executive branch of the District government. 119 (2) The Office shall be under the direction and agency cluster of the Deputy 120 Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. 121 (b) The purpose of The Office is: 122 (1) The development, construction, conversion, retention, operation, and 123 maintenance of District-owned real property to generate permanently affordable, well-124 maintained mixed-income rental housing accommodations (“social housing developments”) that 125 meet high environmental standards for District residents; 126 (2) The conversion of District-owned land into social housing developments; and 127 (3) The cultivation of street-level commercial tenant amenities that serve a public 128 purpose at all properties developed by The Office pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this 129 subsection where properties are zoned for mixed-use. 130 (c) The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Mayor with 131 the advice and consent of the Council pursuant to section 2(a) of the Confirmation Act of 1978, 132 effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01(a)). 133
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(d)(1) The Mayor shall establish a board (“Board”) to govern the operations of The 134 Office which shall consist of 9 residents of the District of Columbia with the following 135 qualifications: 136 (A) Two members shall have expertise in the financing or development of 137 affordable housing for extremely low-income households; 138 (B) One member shall have expertise in the management or operation of 139 affordable housing for extremely low-income households; 140 (C) Two members shall have expertise in housing law, legal services, or 141 tenant organizing; and 142 (D) Four members shall be elected by tenants of social housing 143 developments to serve as tenant-representatives to the Board. 144 (2) Board members shall serve three-year terms and vacancies shall be filled 145 within 90 days of a board member departure. 146 (3) The Board shall establish bylaws to govern their operations, leadership, and 147 meeting procedures. 148 (4) With input from the Director, The Office and the social housing coordinating 149 council established in section 103(b), The Board shall create key performance indicators and 150 development goals for new social housing developments which shall be shared with the Council 151 of the District of Columbia and with tenant association leadership board on an annual basis. 152 (5) Board members shall participate in annual trainings related to: 153 (A) The role of the governing body of a District office; 154 (B) District government ethics; 155
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(C) Background on major District and federal housing programs and 156 financing opportunities; and 157 (D) Fair housing, reasonable accommodations, and non-discrimination. 158 (6) Meeting of the Board shall be subject to the requirements of the Open 159 Meetings Amendment Act of 2010, effective March 31, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-350; D.C. Official 160 Code § 2-571 et seq.). 161 (e)(1) The Mayor shall dedicate start-up funding for the Office which shall be sufficient 162 for not less than 15 full-time employees, office space in a District government building, 163 employee technology, and office supplies. 164 (2) The District’s General Funds shall be used to supplement operational funding 165 for The Office until such time as the Social Housing Development Fund established pursuant to 166 section 104 is self-sustaining for purposes of paying staff salaries and Office operations utilizing 167 not more than 3% rent cumulatively generated by tenants of social housing developments. 168 (f) Beginning, October 1, 2027, and annually through October 1, 2032, the Mayor shall 169 dedicate not less than 10% of the Housing Production Trust Fund to the Office of Social Housing 170 Development as a developer fee to carry out the duties of The Office as described in section 103. 171 Sec. 103. Duties and Authority of the Office of Social Housing Development. 172 (a) The duties of The Office shall be as follows: 173 (1) Develop, manage, and maintain permanently affordable, mixed-income rental 174 housing accommodations where tenant rent deposited into the Social Housing Development 175 Fund established pursuant to section 104 of this title shall be used to fund some or all of the 176 following purposes: 177
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(A) Property management of social housing developments, including any 178 contracts for property management and related sub-contracted services; 179 (B) Regular maintenance of social housing developments, including any 180 contracts or sub-contracts for property maintenance, repair, or renovations; 181 (C) Security personnel and systems at social housing developments, 182 including any contracts for security services,; 183 (D) Tenant association and tenant governance-related expenses required 184 pursuant to Section 106 of this title; 185 (E) Contractor training-related expenses required pursuant to Section 107 186 of this title; and 187 (F) Office of Social Housing Development overhead operations, provided 188 that not more than 3% of rents deposited into the Social Housing Development Fund may be 189 used to defray the following costs: 190 (i) Employee salaries and benefits; 191 (ii) Government office space; 192 (iii) Office supplies and devices; 193 (iv) Website development, technology, and other IT services; and 194 (v) Other reasonable expenses necessary to facilitate general Office 195 operations; 196 (2) Leverage rent revenue generated in excess of an amount necessary to cover 197 expenses listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection for the following purposes: 198 (A) Establishing capital and operating reserve funds which may be used to 199 finance emergency maintenance or repairs, among other expenses; 200
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(B) Building real property social housing developments on District-owned 201 land; 202 (C) Acquiring new real property for the purpose of creating a social 203 housing development; and 204 (D) Renovating real property, including retrofitting properties to achieve 205 compliance with Section 109 of this Act, for the purpose of developing social housing; 206 (3) Develop and administer a centralized tenant application process to facilitate 207 leasing at all social housing developments. The application process shall: 208 (A) Be available online and as a paper copy at a centralized leasing office; 209 (B) Use plain language and be made available in all languages requiredby 210 section 4 of the Language Access Act of 2004, effective June 19, 2004 (D.C. Law 15-167; D.C. 211 Official Code 2-1933); 212 (C) Utilize best practices in application design to limit implicit bias in 213 tenant selection and comply with all housing non-discrimination provisions set forth in The 214 Human Rights Act of 1977, effective December 13, 1977 (D.C. Law 2-38; 31 D.C. Official Code 215 § 2-1401.01 et seq.); 216 (D) Not require an application or processing fee; and 217 (E) Provide prospective tenants with regular updates on the status of their 218 application; 219 (4) Pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, effective 220 September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401 et seq.), convert privately-221 owned real property into social housing developments utilizing for following provisions: 222
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(A) The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (“TOPA”) of 1980 when 223 tenant organizations elect to assign TOPA rights to the District under section 406 of the Act 224 (D.C. Official Code § 42-3404.06); or 225 (B) The District’s Opportunity to Purchase Amendment Act of 2008, 226 effective December 24, 2008 (D.C. Law 17-286; D.C. Official Code § 42-3404.31 et seq) 227 (“DOPA”); 228 (5) Apply for federal, local, or private government grants and loans including the 229 Housing Production Trust Fund, the Green Finance Authority, and the Affordable Housing 230 Preservation Fund, and use the proceeds thereof to acquire, develop, and preserve mixed-income, 231 permanently affordable social housing developments; provided, that the Office shall not borrow 232 any funds or incur any loans or other indebtedness unless such indebtedness has been authorized 233 in advance by an act of the Council and evidenced by a revenue bond, note, or obligation issued 234 pursuant to paragraph (6) of this subsection or other District law; 235 (6) Request the Council to authorize by act in accordance with section 490(a)(1) 236 of the Home Rule Act, effective December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 809; D.C. Official Code 237 § 1-204.90(a)(1)), the issuance of revenue bonds, notes, or other obligations to finance capital 238 projects or undertakings relating to social housing, with all such obligations payable solely from 239 and secured solely by the pledged revenues of the Office; provided, that no real property shall be 240 mortgaged or pledged as security for such obligations; 241 (7) Possess an ownership interest in an entity formed for the purpose of financing 242 a capital project related to housing with federal tax credits such as Low-Income Housing Tax 243 Credits and New Markets Tax Credits; 244
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(8)(A) Hire and supervise, with the advice and consent of tenant association 245 leadership boards, property management, including management provided through a contracted 246 company, to oversee the day-to-day operations of social housing developments owned by The 247 Office. 248 (B)The Office may provide or contract for maintenance, security, or other 249 services at social housing developments if such services are not facilitated through property 250 management. 251 (9) Enter into contracts and facilitate relationships necessary to carry out training 252 requirements pursuant to sections 106 and 107 of this title; 253 (10) Execute ground lease agreements for street-level commercial space, except 254 where prohibited by zoning regulations, to provide community amenities for a public purpose 255 pursuant to Section 108; and 256 (11) Enter into an agreement with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer to 257 provide for free DC Wifi connectivity and access at all social housing developments. 258 (b)(1) The Director of the Office of Social Housing Development shall establish and 259 sustain a social housing coordinating council to support the creation, maintenance, and tenant 260 governance of social housing developments. 261 (2) The social housing coordinating council shall include representatives of: 262 (A) District government housing agencies; 263 (B) Non-profit housing developers and providers; 264 (C) Local tenant rights organizations; 265 (D) Each social housing development tenant association leadership board; 266
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(E) Social housing developments who do not currently serve on the tenant 267 association leadership board of their property; and 268 (F) Local green building and environmental justice organizations. 269 (3) The coordinating council shall meet not less than bi-monthly and meetings 270 shall be publicized to all social housing tenants. 271 (4) Meeting of the social housing coordinating council shall be subject to 272 the requirements of the Open Meetings Amendment Act of 2010, effective March 31, 2011 273 (D.C. Law 18-350; D.C. Official Code § 2-571 et seq.) 274 Sec. 104. Social Housing Development Fund. 275 (a) There is established as a special fund the Social Housing Development Fund 276 ("Fund"), which shall be administered by The Office of Social Housing Development. The 277 purpose of the Fund is to: 278 (1) Finance the creation of social housing developments; 279 (2) Manage federal, local, or private government grants, loans, and bonds 280 received to pay or finance costs of constructing, designing, developing, acquiring, renovating, or 281 equipping capital facilities of social housing developments; 282 (3) Collect and manage rent from residential and commercial or institutional 283 tenants of social housing developments; 284 (4) Pay for services related to tenant governance and property management 285 pursuant to sections 106 and 107 of this Act; 286 (5) Pay for administrative costs of the Office of Social Housing Development, 287 provided that not more than 3% of rents collected pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection 288 may be used to defray these costs; and 289
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(6) Establish and manage capital and operating reserves to carry out fiduciary 290 responsibilities of the Office. 291 (b) Monies obtained pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be deposited into the 292 Fund and shall not revert to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of 293 Columbia at the end of a fiscal year, nor be diverted to any fund of the District at any other time. 294 The Office may create accounts within the Fund. 295 Sec. 105. Residential Characteristics of Social Housing Developments. 296 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, when the Office of Social 297 Housing Development develops real property, the building’s residential development shall 298 include the following: 299 (1) Not less than 30% of apartment units constructed with three, or more, bedrooms; 300 (2) Not less than 30% of apartment units constructed with two bedrooms; 301 (3) Universal design standards; and 302 (4) When street-level commercial office space is not available, one, or more, apartment 303 units shall be designed and dedicated as office space for providers of case management or counseling 304 services associated with District housing and economic security programs. 305 (b)(1) When the Office of Social Housing Development acquires real property through a 306 TOPA or DOPA process pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, 307 effective September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401.01 et seq.), at such 308 time when the building requires a substantial renovation, the Office shall produce a renovation 309 plan to generate redevelopment of multi-bedroom units in an amount equal to or greater than the 310 number of multi-bedroom units in the existing building. 311 (2) The Office shall guarantee a right to return to all tenants who wish to move 312 back to a renovated property. 313
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(3) The Office shall engage the tenant association leadership board in 314 redevelopment planning processes to ensure the right to return and equitable development of 315 multi-bedroom units is achieved through renovations. 316 (c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, when the Office of Social 317 Housing Development develops real property, each social housing development shall initially 318 rent apartment units according to the following distribution: 319 (1) Not less than 30% of tenant households shall, at the time of application, be 320 considered extremely low-income; 321 (2) Not less than 30% of tenant households shall, at the time of application, be 322 considered very low or low income; and 323 (3) Not more than 40% of units shall be leased to households who shall agree to 324 pay a fair market value in monthly rent. 325 (d) When the Office of Social Housing Development acquires real property through a 326 TOPA or DOPA process pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, 327 effective September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401.01 et seq.), new 328 rents shall be set according to annual household income such that no tenant household is paying 329 more than 30% of their income in rent. 330 (e) When a tenant moves out of a social housing development, the Office shall fill the 331 vacant unit according to the distribution requirements and housing preference bonus 332 considerations set forth in subsections (c)(1)-(3) and (f) of this section. 333 (f) In evaluating tenant applications for social housing units, the Office shall assign a 334 25% housing preference bonus to prospective tenants who, at the time of application, are 335 employed or are beginning employment in one of the following professional sectors: 336
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(1) Education, including early childhood education, Pre-kindergarten to 12th grade 337 instruction, higher education, out-of-school time programming, and educational administration; 338 (2) Health, including nursing, mental health care, home health assistance, and 339 emergency medical services; or 340 (3) Case management or direct service professions. 341 (g)(1) A tenant of a social housing development property who, at the time of their initial 342 lease agreement, is considered extremely-, very-, or low-income, shall never pay more than 30% 343 of their monthly income in rent. 344 (2) the Office of Social Housing Development shall certify a tenant’s household 345 income on an annual basis to determine their monthly rent rate; 346 (3) If a tenant’s income is reduced or disrupted mid-year, a tenant may present 347 their situation to The Office to request a temporary reduction in rent to match 30% of their new 348 income level until the time of annual recertification, provided that a rent adjustment shall not be 349 granted below $250 per month. 350 (h) The Office of Social Housing Development shall not increase residential rent: 351 (1) More than once annually; 352 (2) Without 60-days advance written notice; or 353 (3) More than the average of the Consumer Price Index for the Washington-354 Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area for all-urban consumers published by the Department of 355 Labor, or any successor index, as of the close of the 12-month period ending on November 30 of 356 such year. 357 Sec. 106. Tenant Governance and Rights. 358
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(a) The Office of Social Housing Development and the Coordinating Council shall 359 support the tenants of all District social housing developments to establish and maintain tenant 360 association leadership boards to represent the best interests of residents living at each respective 361 social housing property. 362 (b) Tenant association leadership boards shall be responsible for the following duties at 363 each social housing development property: 364 (1) Establish tenant association by-laws and a process by which residents will 365 elect leadership which is representative of the full population of tenants at the property; 366 (2) Establish and maintain community rules and expectations; 367 (3) Review Office of Social Housing Development contract agreements, when 368 applicable, and provide ongoing feedback related to property management; 369 (4) Advocate on behalf of tenants for improved property management, when 370 necessary; 371 (5) Initiate a process with The Office to procure a new contract for building 372 management if a majority of the tenant association leadership board finds a current company’s 373 performance unsatisfactory; 374 (6) Conduct tenant association feedback processes to determine community needs 375 and preferences related to a social housing development’s leasable street-level commercial or 376 institutional space; and 377 (7) Manage a budget for community-building and other initiatives that advance 378 the mission of the tenant association. 379 (c) Tenant association leadership board meetings shall: 380 (1) Be open to all tenant residents to attend; 381
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(2) Be publicized, in matters determined by the tenant association leadership 382 board, at least 3 business days in advance of each meeting; 383 (3) Produce for tenants the Office copies of notes or recordings within one week 384 of each meeting; 385 (4) Record all discussions and votes related to the initiation of a new contract for 386 property management services; and 387 (5) Arrange for translation services upon request. 388 (d)(1) Tenant association leadership boards shall receive annual trainings, arranged by 389 The Office of Social Housing Development, in residential property management and board 390 governance. 391 (2) The Office shall facilitate a relationship between each social housing 392 development and the Office of Tenant Advocate and the Office of Tenant Advocate shall serve 393 as a primary tenant-rights resource for tenants of the development. 394 (3) Tenant association leadership boards may use board-managed funds to seek 395 support or technical assistance from non-governmental housing law, tenant organizing, or other 396 expert resources to exercise their rights and execute their duties. 397 (e)(1) Pursuant to subsection (b)(7) of this section, tenant association leadership boards 398 shall be provided with a budget equivalent to 1.5% of the cumulative annual rent collected at 399 their respective social housing development properties. 400 (2) the Office of Social Housing Development shall establish and facilitate access 401 to bank accounts for tenant association leadership boards for each property. 402 (f)(1) All tenants of social housing shall be afforded opportunities for restorative justice 403 conflict resolution when conflict or harm arise between tenants or between a tenant and the 404
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Office of Social Housing Development or any entities contracted by The Office to work with a 405 social housing property. 406 (2) The Office of Social Housing Development shall facilitate a relationship with 407 organizations or consultants to provide annual restorative justice training on conflict resolution; 408 training shall be made available to all tenants of social housing developments. 409 (g)(1) The Office of Social Housing Development shall provide notice to all tenants of 410 their right to apply for Emergency Rental Assistance to cure rental arrears if they meet the 411 qualifications of Section 8f of the Homeless Services Reform Act of 2005, effective October 22, 412 2005 (D.C. Law 16-35; D.C. Official Code § 4-753.08). 413 (2) Notice shall be posted publicly in a property’s common area and provided to 414 tenants: 415 (A) In writing, electronically or printed, at the time the property manager 416 or The Office learns of a tenant’s inability to pay rent, and there shall be a rebuttable 417 presumption that failure to pay rent by the property’s prescribed monthly deadline constitutes a 418 tenant’s inability to pay rent that month; 419 (B) In the language the property manager or The Office know to be the 420 tenant’s primary language; and 421 (C) 60 days or more before the Office moves to initiate an eviction 422 proceeding on account of nonpayment of rent. 423 (3) Notice shall include contact information for the Department of Human 424 Services and the Landlord-Tenant Legal Assistance Network. 425 (h)(1) The Office of Social Housing Development shall work with tenant association 426 leadership boards and property management companies to produce biannual reports on each 427
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development’s finances, expenditures, revenues, unit vacancy and turnover rates, maintenance 428 and security contracts, property repairs executed and needs, projected rent adjustments, 429 commercial tenant agreements, and other major property management issues identified tenant 430 association leadership boards. 431 (2) The report shall be provided electronically to all tenants and posted on the 432 website of The Office . 433 (3) A tenant may request a report copy be provided to them as a paper copy. 434 Sec. 107. Responsibilities of Social Housing Property Management. 435 (a) The Office of Social Housing Development may: 436 (1) Establish a division in their Office to serve as the onsite manager of day-to-day 437 operations of social housing properties; or 438 (2) Contract with a private company to provide day-to-day property management 439 operations at one or multiple social housing properties. 440 (b) Providing day-to-day property management operations shall include: 441 (1) Monitoring building operations and communicating updates to tenants 442 including establishing a process to receive regular tenant and tenant association leadership board 443 feedback on building operations; 444 (2) Ensuring proactive building maintenance and timely unit repairs, including: 445 (A) Responding, in writing, to a tenant maintenance complaint or repair 446 request not later than two business days after a tenant files a complaint or request; 447 (B) Making a reasonable effort to complete all maintenance and repair 448 requests within one week of receiving the request; and 449 (C) Providing a tenant a weekly status update on how an issue is being 450 resolved, if the issue remains unresolved after one week; 451
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(3) Accurately collecting rent on behalf of the Office of Social Housing 452 Development Fund which shall transferred to The Fund in a timely manner; 453 (4) Providing or executing contracts with vendors for the following services: 454 (A) Regular cleaning services for building common areas; 455 (B) Regular maintenance for building upkeep and pest management; 456 (C) Emergency maintenance and construction repairs; 457 (D) Trash, recycling, compost, and other waste removal services; 458 (E) Security personnel and systems; and 459 (F) Landscaping services; 460 (5) Entering agreements with and making payments to utility providers for in-unit 461 and common space utility usage per social housing development property; and 462 (6) Facilitating restorative justice conflict resolution processes when a dispute 463 arises between a tenant or tenants and the property manager or any vendor contracted by 464 property management. 465 (c)(1) When a contract is executed with a private company to provide property 466 management, The Office shall require all company employees who will be working at or with 467 social housing properties to: 468 (A) Participate in implicit bias and anti-racism training; and 469 (B) Participate in restorative justice conflict resolution training. 470 (2) Employees working at or with social housing properties shall participate in 471 trainings annually, including attending trainings within two months of beginning a job with a 472 social housing property. 473
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(3) The Office shall arrange for and fund anti-bias and conflict resolution 474 trainings. 475 Sec. 108. Community Amenities for a Public Purpose at Social Housing Developments. 476 (a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), when constructing a new building as a social 477 housing development, the Office of Social Housing Development shall set aside not less than 478 50% of the street-level floorplan as commercial space to meet a public purpose. 479 (2) The requirement set forth in paragraph (1) may be waived if a new property is 480 not being constructed in a location zoned for mixed-use and no zoning adjustments will be 481 pursued by the Office. 482 (b) When the Office of Social Housing Development acquires real property through a 483 TOPA or DOPA process pursuant to The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, 484 effective September 10, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3401.01 et seq.) and a 485 previous building structure included street-level commercial space, the Office of Social Housing 486 Development shall preserve not less than 75% of pre-existing commercial space for community 487 amenities that meet a public purpose. 488 (c) Community amenities that meet a public purpose include: 489 (1) Libraries; 490 (2) Community or recreation centers; 491 (3) Grocery stores or healthy food markets; 492 (4) Child development facilities, out-of-school time programs, or other 493 educational entities; 494 (5) Health clinics or other public health and wellness-related services; 495 (6) Career development and job training services; 496
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(7) Non-profit offices or programs; 497 (8) Small-business or artistic community incubators; 498 (9) Flexible meeting rooms or office space for: 499 (A) Neighborhood organizations such as Advisory Neighborhood 500 Committees or civic associations; 501 (B) “Pop-up” programming that meets community needs identified by 502 tenants of a social housing development; or 503 (C) Case management services affiliated with District government housing 504 and economic security programs; and 505 (10) Businesses that advance environmental causes. 506 (d)(1) Lessees or renters of ground-floor commercial space may be the District 507 government, non-profit entities, or private businesses. 508 (2) When leasing ground-floor commercial space to non-governmental entities, 509 the Office of Social Housing Development shall charge rents at not more than 80% of fair market 510 rental rates for comparable neighborhood street-level retail space. 511 (3) The Office shall not raise rents for commercial lessees more than once in a 512 two-year period. 513 (4) When adjusting rental rates or renegotiating a lease with an existing street-514 level retail tenant, the Office shall not raise rent above the average of the Consumer Price Index 515 for the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Statistical Area for all-urban consumers published 516 by the Department of Labor, or any successor index, as of the close of the 12-month period 517 ending on November 30 of such year. . 518
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(5) A new lessee for street-level commercial space in a social housing 519 development shall not be charged more than 5% more than a previous lessee. 520 (f)(1) The Department of General Services shall facilitate property maintenance and 521 security for any government facilities or services operating or co-locating at a social housing 522 development. 523 (2) The Office of Social Housing Development or their contracted property 524 manager shall execute maintenance contracts necessary for regular and emergency maintenance 525 needs of non-governmental street-level commercial space lessees. 526 (3) Storefront security systems, such as alarms, CCTV cameras, door lock 527 protocols, and retail product security, shall be the responsibility of non-governmental street-level 528 commercial lessees operating at a social housing development. These responsibilities shall not 529 dimmish the requirement of the Office or their contracted property manager to provide or 530 procure contracts for security personnel and systems for the social housing development 531 complex. 532 Sec. 109. Environmental Standards at Social Housing Developments. 533 (a) When constructed or renovated, social housing developments shall meet high 534 environmental standards, including: 535 (1) Net-zero emissions, including no energy from combustion or any sources that 536 emit greenhouse gases; 537 (2) High-efficiency, all-electric heating and cooling systems; 538 (3) Energy-efficient or high-efficiency appliances, windows, and lights in all 539 apartment units and common spaces; 540
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(4) On-site solar energy production to the maximum extent practicable, including 541 using the District’s solar installation program and employing labor through the District’s solar 542 installation workforce training programs; 543 (5) Eco-friendly landscape architecture, including green walls and green roofs, to 544 maximize natural cooling; 545 (6) Low-flow toilets, smart shower and washing machine technologies, and rain 546 capture and recycling techniques to reduce water waste; 547 (7) On-site composting services; 548 (8) On-site electric vehicle and electric bike charging ports that are accessible to 549 tenants and to the public; 550 (9) Indoor facilities to lock and store bicycles and other personal mobility devices; 551 and 552 (10) To the extent that on-site parking is developed or available at a social 553 housing development, not less than 20% of parking spaces shall be reserved for agreements with 554 car-sharing services. 555 (b) Social housing developments shall not include the following: 556 (1) Natural gas for heating, hot water, or cooking; or 557 (2) Off-street parking in excess of zoning regulations. 558 Sec. 110. Labor Standards and Employment Generation for Social Housing. 559 (a) Social housing developments shall be developed in compliance with federal and 560 District law, including: 561 (1) Procurement laws pursuant to Subchapter VI of Chapter 3A of Title 2; 562
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(2) First source employment laws pursuant to Subchapter X of Chapter 2 of Title 563 2; 564 (3) Small and local business enterprise development laws pursuant to Subchapter 565 IX-A of Chapter 2 of Title 2; 566 (4) Clean Hands requirements pursuant to Subchapter II of Chapter 28 of Title 47; 567 (5) Whistleblower protections pursuant to Subchapter XII of Chapter 2 of Title 2; 568 and 569 (6) Prevailing wage requirements pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, 570 approved March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1494; 40 U.S.C. § 3141 et seq.). 571 (b)(1) In order to advance the Office of Social Housing Development’s authority to 572 manage social housing properties established under section 107(a)(1), the Office may develop a 573 job training program for professions related to property management, including day-to-day 574 building operations, maintenance, and security services. 575 (2) To the extent practicable, the Office of Social Housing Development shall hire 576 tenants to work the following jobs at properties under the Office’s management: 577 (A) Front desk attendants and site managers; 578 (B) Leasing office associates; 579 (C) Security; 580 (D) Property maintenance and repair; and 581 (E) Landscape management and groundskeeping. 582 (c) When The Office procures a contract related to the development, construction, or 583 operation of social housing, the Office shall assign the equivalent of a 25% preference bonus for 584 companies whose workforce is unionized or who subcontract for union labor. 585
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Sec. 111. Rules. 586 The Mayor, pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, 587 approved October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), shall issue rules 588 to implement the provisions of this title. 589 590 Title II: CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 591 Sec. 201. Section 301(q) of the District of Columbia Government Comprehensive Merit 592 Personnel Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-139; D.C. Official Code § 1-593 603.01(17)), is amended as follows: 594 (a) Paragraph (56) is amended by striking the word "and" at the end. 595 (b) Paragraph (57) is amended by striking the phrase "District of Columbia Public 596 Schools." and inserting the phrase "District of Columbia Public Schools; and" in its place. 597 (c) A new paragraph (58) is added to read as follows: 598 "(58) Office of Social Housing Development.". 599 Sec. 202. Section 301(b) of the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018, 600 effective August 22, 2018 (D.C. Law 22-155; D.C. Official Code § 8-173.31(b)) is amended by 601 striking the period and inserting the phrase “including Social Housing Development as defined 602 pursuant to Title I of the Housing Development Growth Amendment Act of 2025, introduced 603 March __, 2025 (B2-___).” 604 Sec. 203. Section 1(a-1)(2)(A) of An Act Authorizing the sale of certain real estate in the 605 District of Columbia no longer required for public purposes, approved August 5, 1939 (53 Stat. 606 1211; D.C. Official Code § 10-801(a-1)(2)(A)), is amended to read as follows: 607
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“(A) Whether the real property could have any use by the District, 608 including: 609 “(i) A description of the District’s current needs for real property, 610 “(ii) A description of potential public uses considered by the 611 Mayor, 612 “(iii) The square footage of green space on the real property, 613 “(iv) A narrative explaining why the real property is unsuited for 614 each public use considered; and 615 “(v) If the property is being disposed of in order to provide 616 affordable housing, a justification and mathematical assessment such as a pro forma for why the 617 proposed disposition will result in more permanently affordable housing for extremely low- and 618 very low-income households than would be created if the property were converted into a social 619 housing development as defined pursuant to Title I of the Housing Development Growth 620 Amendment Act of 2025, introduced March __, 2025 (B26-___).”. 621 Sec. 204. The Housing Production Trust Fund Act of 1988, effective March 16, 1989 622 (D.C. Law 7-202; D.C. Official Code § 42-2801 et seq.), is amended as follows: 623 (a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 42–2801) is amended by adding a new paragraph (13) 624 to read as follows: 625 “(13) “Social Housing Development” shall have the same meaning as section 626 101(15) of the Housing Development Growth Amendment Act of 2025, introduced March __, 627 2025 (B26-___).”.. 628 (b) Section 3(b) (D.C. Official Code § 42–2802(b)) is amended by adding a new 629 paragraph (12) to read as follows: 630
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“(12) Funds for the Office of Social Housing Development to acquire, develop, or 631 preserve a social housing development.” 632 Sec. 205. The Rental Housing Conversion and Sale Act of 1980, effective September 10, 633 1980 (D.C. Law 3-86; D.C. Official Code § 42-3404 et seq.), is amended as follows: 634 (a) Section 406 (D.C. Official Code § 42–3404.06) is amended by striking the phrase “or 635 governmental.” and inserting the phrase “or governmental, including to the District Office of 636 Social Housing Development established pursuant to Title I of the Housing Development 637 Growth Amendment Act of 2025, introduced March __, 2025 (B26-___).” in its place. 638 (b) Section 431 (D. C. Official Code § 42–3404.31) is amended by adding a new 639 subsection (b-1) to read as follows: 640 “(b-1) If the Mayor assigns the District’s purchasing rights pursuant to § 42-3404.36, 641 they must first issue a justification and mathematical assessment such as a pro forma for why 642 doing so will create more permanently affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-643 income households than converting it into a social housing development as defined pursuant to 644 Title I of the Housing Amendment Act of 2025, introduced March __, 2025 (B26-___).”. 645 646 TITLE III. FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT; APPLICABILITY; EFFECTIVE DATE. 647 Sec. 301. Applicability. 648 (a) This act shall apply upon the date of inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved 649 budget and financial plan. 650 (b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in 651 an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council 652 of the certification. 653
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(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in 654 the District of Columbia Register. 655 (2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the 656 applicability of this act. 657 Sec. 302. Fiscal impact statement. 658 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 659 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 660 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code§ 1-301.47a). 661 Sec. 303. Effective date. 662 This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 663 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 664 provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 665 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 666 Columbia Register. 667